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Pronghorn Euro help?

Muskeez

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Messages
1,738
Location
NW Iowa
I had some guys say to microwave the head for 2 minutes, then soak in hot water for 20 minutes to pull the horn sheaths off before doing the euro process. I really don't want to put that antelope head in my microwave in the kitchen for fear that it will leave that antelope aroma in the microwave for life. And it may not fit anyway. Any other suggestions for getting the sheaths off? They are soaking in hot water now and not budging.
 
I just throw it in when I boil it...give it a little bit of time and they will pull off
 
Simmer it with a towel over the top for 20-30 minutes. Hold the skull with your feet if necessary for more leverage. Give a twist as you pull. If the horn sheath doesn't come off, put it back in for 10 more minutes.

I just did two more last week. And yeah, do it outside if possible, unlike me. :D

Before putting the towel on top:

20181023_174433.jpg

After pulling the sheaths:

20181023_184158.jpg
 
I had some guys say to microwave the head for 2 minutes, then soak in hot water for 20 minutes to pull the horn sheaths off before doing the euro process. I really don't want to put that antelope head in my microwave in the kitchen for fear that it will leave that antelope aroma in the microwave for life. And it may not fit anyway. Any other suggestions for getting the sheaths off? They are soaking in hot water now and not budging.

I put one in the microwave last night and it didn't leave an aroma... also bleach.

That said I have done two euros this year using my sous vide machine, inverted with the horns submerged for 1hr at 165 got them off nicely (no or oxyclean in the bath just water). Then I added Oxyclean to the bath set the temp at 145 for 36 hours.
 
Thanks guys! Ya, Will, I used my Sous Vide machine, water only, 145* today for like 3 hours at 150, finally got them pulled off. THANKS GUYS! He is in the water and Biz now (Without SHeaths) for 24 hours and we'll see how he looks. I did a mule deer last week. Took like 36 hours also. Got 97% of the stuff off but some remains. Now it's dried so I will put it back in the hot bath for a couple hours and pick it all off hopefully. Hope to post some good pics next week.
 
I put antelope heads in a black garbage bag for a few days in the sun. Test them every day after about 3 or 4 days. They will loosen up and slide off pretty easily.
 
I can't believe you all do that in the house, lol. Even in the microwave and slow cooker, Wow.

I just wrapped up an elk today and have an antelope simmering outside. I have an outdoor boiler system so I sit the pot on the flue gas pipe and it keeps the water about 150 or so. I use washing soda the first two rounds to get the meat off then some dawn in the next two for grease. Then 40 volume cream developer for the whitening.

On the horns I stuff charcoal inside them for a few days to get the smell and moisture out, works great.
 
Do mine outside also,especially Javelina.Just don't hard boil it causes the skulls to crack.:cool:
 
Be very careful putting it in the microwave. I tried that once and when I pulled it out there was a big bubble on the side of the horn just below the cutter.
 
Give maceration a try sometime. Works great. All details of skull preserved.
 
I've tried maceration. Heck, its kind of the default when you're really busy, but I find it takes too long for my tastes, smells too much for the wife's tastes and often discolors the skull more than I would prefer.

I'm giving the sous-vide method a try right now. I have high expectations!
 
My total time on macerated heads is less than 1 hour per skull. Total rot time is 9 days, degreasing time is 2 days and peroxide bath. The big downside is the odor and if you aren't in a place that can handle the wretchedness of that, you don't want to do it. Never have I had a skull discolored though.
 
How do you keep the temp up for maceration?

I saw the pics of a couple of you skulls on another thread they came out really good. I would love to see a thread with your method step by step, I kinda by accidentally pioneered using a sous vide machine to do them (although lots of guys had been "cooking" with some sort of temperature controlled device.) and it works great but there are so many ways to get it done well and I would love to learn about your technique.

Along those lines heard about a method of getting really greasy/ discolored heads clean by using acetone as a finishing step... guy was doing lots of G-bears.
 
100 watt tank heaters with the bucket insulated. I use 1 per 5 gallons depending on the container size. I like doing deer, elk and antelope. Have done bears but not a fan as they lose their teeth easy and I hate looking for them.
 
30338 - That's pretty much the same thing we're doing with the sous-vide. I thought you were referring to cold water maceration.

The sous-vide is what we use to control the temperature. We're doing it at a bit higher temperature ( ~145 ) so the process takes less time, but is still not as hard on the skull as boiling. I'm really happy with the results so far. I've done probably 30 skulls in the past and this has been the cleanest and easiest method I've used.
 
I put antelope heads in a black garbage bag for a few days in the sun. Test them every day after about 3 or 4 days. They will loosen up and slide off pretty easily.

Money right here^^^...and when you simmer off the remaining meat with a cup or so of washing soda, it about dissolves.

It also doesn't discolor the horns from soaking in water.
 
It also doesn't discolor the horns from soaking in water.

That's why you pop the horns before the process... also if your not doing that I imagine they stink for months as the flesh under the sheaths rots... gross
 
30338 - That's pretty much the same thing we're doing with the sous-vide. I thought you were referring to cold water maceration.

The sous-vide is what we use to control the temperature. We're doing it at a bit higher temperature ( ~145 ) so the process takes less time, but is still not as hard on the skull as boiling. I'm really happy with the results so far. I've done probably 30 skulls in the past and this has been the cleanest and easiest method I've used.

Vanish, How many days from dropping in the 145 till done? Got any closeups of finished skulls with that process. Curious about that.

And it sounds like the black bag method on getting horn sheaths off is the way to go. I've not had lingering issues with them macerating off, but it would be easier if they were already off before rotting for sure.
 
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